Basic Promotion Tactics for Content Marketing Beginners

3 minute read

Upland Admin

Add This Buttons For those brands and companies just stepping into the world of content marketing, the time and resources it takes to create solid content and stock an editorial calendar can lead to overlooking some basic but essential tactics for promoting that content.

And when it comes to traffic, the only way to get it (unless you’re publishing your content on Mashable) is through promotion. Content isn’t like the field of dreams: Just because you build it, doesn’t mean visitors will instinctively flock to it.

But with a few simple (yet often overlooked) tools, you can easily implement a promotion program while keeping your resources focused on content creation. Here’s how.

Built-In Social Sharing

The only way to set up your content for going viral is to make it universally appealing. Everyone, from beginners to novices and industry enthusiast to industry professionals, must find it relevant. Beyond that, it’s imperative to make your content easily shareable. Social sharing buttons are the best method for this objective.

  • Official Retweet Button: Once someone shares your content, this tool will recommend he or she follow the Twitter account you specify in the coding, winning new followers.
  • Facebook Like Button: This button is easy to implement and displays either Like or Recommend. With a bit of coding using Facebook’s Javascript SDK, users can also send the content privately to their contacts.
  • Google+: My Google+ shares are getting a lot more interaction and re-sharing than my Facebook shares these days.
  • LinkedIn Share Button: If your in the B2B content business, LinkedIn is a must-use network. Content that has a high rate of LinkedIn shares also has the potential to be recognized in LinkedIn Today, another potentially significant traffic generator.

If you don’t want to embed the individual button codes, there are alternatives, such as the Digg Digg plugin (WordPress only), Add This, or Share This. But don’t overdo it with sharing buttons. Sure, you can deliver your content to dozens of social networks, but focusing on the best traffic generators for your audience is the smarter way to go. Too many options can leave users confused and less likely to choose any.

Easy-to-Find Email and RSS Opt-Ins

To enlist mailing list opt-ins and RSS subscribers, ensure the webpage on which your content is published includes an easy-to-find form or button. For blogs, this is generally easy, as an opt-in form can be added to the sidebar. A form can also be coded at the end of your content with a specific call to action. Another great opt-in converter is a downloadable freebie for signing up, such as eBooks, whitepapers, or industry reports.

What other promotional tactics can beginning marketers easily implement to help promote their efforts without weighing down their budgets and processes?

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